Training Parole Agents: How Prior Criminal Justice Work Shapes Attitudes and Beliefs

The present analysis gathered data from a self-administered questionnaire that assessed new parole agents’ knowledge, attitude, and beliefs about modeling appropriate behavior for offenders, showing support for offenders’ reentry into the community, and understanding the principles on which effective correctional intervention programming is based. Overall, findings showed that parole agents’ prior work history in the field of criminal justice measurably impacted knowledge, attitude, and beliefs about effectiveness of offender treatment programs and their responsibilities for facilitating successful community reentry.